How to Acid Dye Your Carpet

Vacuum your carpeting thoroughly. Steam clean your carpet to make sure it's completely clean.

Put on rubber gloves. Measure the correct amount of dye into a bowl. Use a bowl that holds at least 8 cups and that fits easily into your bucket. Follow the directions on your dye package to find the correct amount of dye, but a popular amount is 1, 4, or 10 tsp. of dye powder, depending on how strong you want the color to be.

Pour 1/2 cup of very hot water into the bowl and stir the mixture until the dye powder is completely dissolved. Add 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, then stir.

Add 1-3/4 cups of cool water. Check the temperature while adding the cool water. You need to bring the temperature of your mixture down to between 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees. Adjust the temperature of your cool water accordingly to achieve that final temperature.

Add 1/4 cup of Fix OR, which is a liquid fixative used when dyeing nylon or wool carpeting. Give the mixture a final stir. Fill the bucket with water, heated to 130 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the bowl into the bucket to serve as a water bath. This will keep the temperature of the dye warm.

Paint your carpeting with a thin, even layer. Begin in one corner and work steadily until you reach the opposite, diagonal corner. Allow the carpeting to dry for 24 hours, making sure the room temperature is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set the dye by steaming it for 5 to 8 minutes with a commercial carpet steamer. Allow the dyed carpeting to dry thoroughly before replacing the furniture in the room.